All Articles For All Thy Works Shall Praise Thee

Previous article in this series: March 15, 2018, p. 282. “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.” Revelation 7:9, 10 In the previous article we considered the doctrine of the image of God and, in particular, the way this doctrine is traditionally understood within the Protestant Reformed...

“When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; what is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet.” Psalm 8:3-6 It is hard to read the central verses of Psalm 8 without pausing in wonder. Or perhaps puzzlement is a better way...

Dr. Nathan Lanning, cellular and molecular biologist and a member of Hope Protestant Reformed Church, Redlands, California. All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. I Corinthians 6:12 In order to remain alive and properly function, the cells that make up our bodies must continually take in nutrients. These nutrients provide the raw materials required for the production of hormones by endocrine cells, by digestive enzymes, by intestinal cells, by hemoglobin in red blood cells, and by the myriad...

Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Matthew 24:23, 24 The Bible presents an alarming picture of what lies in store for believers as the end of the world approaches. The apostasy and persecution foretold by Scripture are indeed fearful heralds of our Lord’s return, but perhaps even more concerning are Jesus’ words in the verses that introduce this article: “if it...

Dr. Lanning is a cellular and molecular biologist and a member of Hope Protestant Reformed Church, Redlands, California. From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. Ephesians 4:16 Scripture is the ultimate guide for believers to many marvelous aspects of creation, allowing them to contemplate God’s wisdom, power, creativeness, and majesty. God is to be thanked for teaching us how to give Him praise through thoughtful mediation on His...

As we noted in the previous article, (April 15, 2017, p. 332) news reports regarding the “state of the environment” regularly appear, but often with differing conclusions. Sometimes we have heard of global cooling and at other times we have been told of global warming. Scientists admit the difficulty of predicting what will happen due to the complexity of the creation. We know there are certain factors that have a definite effect on the climate; but due to the many factors involved, and the impossibility of isolating all possible factors in order to determine precisely how much of an effect...

Mr. Minderhoud is a science teacher in Covenant Christian High School and a member of Hope Protestant Reformed Church, Walker, Michigan. Various environmental issues are brought to our attention from time to time in news reports. Yet, these reports often leave us with more questions than answers. Are these environmental issues a hoax, or scientifically proven phenomena? Or perhaps, something in between? We are left to wonder, “Is there anything to be gained from looking into these issues?” I believe there is. I see value in examining various environmental issues— not to determine the extent to which certain of them...

Dr. Looyenga is Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Calvin College and is a member of Zion Protestant Reformed Church, Hudsonville, Michigan. “And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Luke 5:31, 32 I recall a conversation I had with a certain Dr. John Marcus when I was a college student learning how to do cancer research. And yes, this is the same man who is now serving as pastor of First PR Church of Edmonton. At the...

Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, the Lord hath done great things for them. Psalm 126:2 The study of human behaviors is a large and fascinating enterprise, drawing research from every religious and secular worldview known to man. Laughter is perhaps one of the most commonly relatable human behaviors. Most babies laugh by four months of age, and a visit to any schoolyard during recess sometimes makes one think that children communicate through laughter alone. The entertainment industry reaps huge profits by churning out every sort of comedy...

Dr. Looyenga teaches in the Science Department at Calvin College and is a member of Faith Protestant Reformed Church, Jenison, Michigan. “What then is time? If no one asks me, I know what it is. If I wish to explain it to him who asks, I do not know.” –Saint Augustine “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good.” Genesis 1:3, 4 The concept “time” is among the most commonly experienced, yet most mysterious, of God’s creatures. I call it a concept because defining time—at least in any...